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Clans and Guilds Wiki:Rules
This page is an outline of what is and isn't acceptable when using or contributing to the C/G-pedia. If you think there is anything to add, then please contact an admin or Skietalent with your suggestions. Words from the creator First off, a big thank you goes out to the community of Clans and Guilds for creating such a sprawling and epic world. Without the likes of you, none of this would even be needed, much less possible. Even if you believe your contributions have never been that heavy, know that every single character, item, or location within C/G is from the combined effort of it's users, and every piece is another aspect of an ongoing fictional world. That said, we are in the business of creative writing, and are more used to telling stories rather than writing an encyclopedia. I understand how tough that switch can be. In fact, when I started this wiki I had no idea where to begin. From layout to templates to articles, it was all very new to me. I am not a web designer, and I had a very limited knowledge of HTML and CSS, much less on how to create/run a wiki; which I believe is a whole different arena within the confines of the internet. So trust me when I say that I completely understand how you feel. The result, as you can see, is a wiki that is far from professional. There is definite room for improvement, as we will learn as we continue on into the future. Until that time comes though, this is what we are stuck with. We are not professionals, and as such no one is expected to present themselves as a professional. However, it is imperative that we still adhere to a set of standards that can be accepted by all, in order to present a quality effort on all fronts. Whereas the Manual of Style can be considered loose and can be changed depending on the situation, these rules should be considered "set in stone". Additions and revisions might be made in the future, but overall these will most likely always apply in some form or fashion. None of these rules are meant to discourage contribution, in fact, I hope that they do quite the opposite; because without the contribution of it's users, the C/G-pedia will just become lost and won't serve the purpose intended: To add to what we've created, and allow new and old users alike the educate themselves and what exactly makes up the C/G world. We are here to improve C/G, and in that effort we will hopefully become more organized and be able to present a more concrete world than what we had before this wiki. I believe everyone will be able to benefit from this wiki, and as long as it's used correctly, it will be here as long as C/G is around. Most likely, it will be around longer than I'll be in C/G. With that said, I hope that what is presented here is acceptable and reasonable to all members of C/G. I also hope that every contributor uses the wiki to the best of their ability, and that they enjoy themselves while they do this; whether it just be reading up on a certain character, to adding their own article, or even making improvements to the site itself. A lot can be done here, and though we may not include everything within days, weeks, or even months or years, know that this was made not for me, but for the benefit of all those who have or will ever participate within C/G. With your contributions, I know that this will be used to it's fullest. Thanks again. --skietalent 23:38, 30 January 2009 (UTC) Metagaming Metagaming, in simple terms, is using out-of-character information, or resources, to affect one's in-character decisions (Taken directly from Wikipedia.) As this wiki deals strictly with said OOC information, it is generally assumed that much will be covered that hasn’t been previously IC; no matter what the situation. The purpose of this wiki is to expand the knowledge of all those that participate in Clans and Guilds, and as this is accomplished, there is no question that such knowledge will be subject to abuse in the future. Should someone choose to abuse the information gathered here, one must know that the process of metagaming is strongly'''discouraged, and is looked down upon by the majority of the members of C/G. Though it is close to impossible to know where the information was derived, it is not all that difficult to know when someone is metagaming. The C/G-pedia can take no actions towards those that choose to metagame, but know that such action will not be tolerated on the forum itself. Information here is for OOC use only, and should not be used to take advantage of other characters within C/G. Please refrain from metagaming, and should you choose to ignore this warning, C/G-pedia can not take responsibility for any actions that may befall you. If it’s written, include it On a similar subject of Metagaming, the question might also be, “What should be included?” We want to encourage as much contribution as possible, but we do understand there are certain circumstances in which information cannot be readily available. It is generally known that many roleplayers like to plan out certain events, storylines, or even their characters possible futures, but they do not want this information to be released to the public until it is revealed. As this is considered “in production”, there is no reason this information should be included except for at the creator’s discretion. In the same vein as above, there are some characters that roleplayers choose to have with a mysterious past. Though it may be common knowledge to them where this certain character came from or what their past may include, the roleplayer also chooses to keep this information secret. That is fine, as it is not expected for anyone to unwillingly release anything they’d rather withhold until future use. However, if any information like those mentioned above has been thoroughly written out in IC form, then it can and should be included within the wiki. Once it has been provided by the creator in a manner that is acceptable, then they no longer have the option of withholding that information. If conclusions can be drawn, however vague it is presented, then it should be included on the wiki. None of this is intended to discourage the contribution of information to this wiki, but will hopefully encourage as much contribution as possible without stepping over each others toes. No one is expected to contribute if they choose not to, but if it can be found IC, know that it might possible be included anyway. Copyright It is not all that uncommon to find pre-existing characters within the realms of Clans and Guilds. The most popular examples of this might include Shinji Ikari from the Evangelion Anime Series and Midgar from the Final Fantasy VII Video Game. As such, the issues involving copyright laws are tricky when being applied to this wiki. To avoid any problems, it is impeccable that only information involving previously copyrighted material, '''as they pertain to C/G, be included. We cannot erase what has already been written, nor what will be written in the future, but we do want to make clear that the material found in other works (characters, locations, devices, etc.) is separate from the material found in C/G; and vice-versa. Please do not include any information about such material as it is found in its actual work, unless absolutely necessary, and please try and keep the source strictly from C/G. If it is not already known, one should never use copyrighted material in their own works, unless when granted permission by the copyright holder. That said, all information within C/G, and therefore this wiki, is copyright to their individual creators as mentioned here. Please do not reproduce the works, characters, locations, etc. found here without the explicit information from the ones who first created it. For more information on copyright, please see the article on Wikipedia. Layout Since Clans and Guilds is a blend of all types of genres, it is not at all possible to outline a strict layout that must be followed. Instead, the layout guide is more of a guideline than an actual rule. It is highly encouraged, though, that contributors try and follow as close to that outline as possible, as well as follow the examples of previous articles of the same type. Everyone's style is different from another, so in order to keep a consistent look and feel across the site we must also pay close attention to how the wiki is outlined. If you aren't sure how to do this, then please seek the help of another contributor, and definitely check out the layout guide as well as the Manual of Style for more details. We will try and keep as consistent as possible, and if you think you have the hang of it, then maybe you can help Cleanup articles that may need some. Talk pages Over and over again you might find yourself referred to a "talk page" where users can envelop themselves in a discussion on how to improve that specific article. This is definitely a great innovation for wiki's as a whole, and should be used in the way intended. However, as a group that derives itself from a specific forum, it is not easy to have to learn and/or pay attention to another type of discussion. We already spend too much of our time on the internet as it is, so dealing with checking up on another update isn't a fun thing to think about. Therefore, it is going to be inquired about starting a separate discussion on the boards for this exact purpose. From determining what should be included to how to improve articles, from bringing up new ideas to innovating the site, everything will hopefully be covered in that new discussion. Once the link is up, it will be included here as well as on the main page. Use the talk pages, as that's what they were intended for, but don't rely on them as we are - as said before - a group of unprofessionals who know hardly a thing about wiki's. Vandalism Though it should not need to be said, the format leaves no other option, so to put it simply: Vandalism will not be tolerated! The C/G-pedia is typically left very open so that others can make as many improvements as possible that will overall benefit the wiki as a whole. Certain pages and templates may be protected, but the majority is left unlocked so that anyone (anonymous or not) can add onto it, depending on the knowledge they possess. Should this be abused, then we will have to resort to protecting pages to not allow anonymous edits or contribution, and possibly protecting C/G-pedia essential pages to everyone but admins. In short, we will not hesitate to knock those that abuse the privilege of using this wiki over the heads with our big ban stick. We are here as a collected effort, and for the benefit of all who want to be involved in Clans and Guilds, so disrupting the improvement and purpose of this wiki will definitely not be tolerated. See Also *Manual of Style *Layout Guide *What C/G-pedia is not